21-year-old key defender Jack Leslie will play his sixth senior game against GWS on Saturday after earning a call-up to Rodney Eade’s senior 22 on the back of good form in the reserves.
The No. 20 draft pick from the 2013 NAB AFL draft had 36 disposals and 14 marks in an under-siege backline in the NEAFL last week and will get his opportunity against the Giants at Spotless Stadium.
“Hasn’t played many games but on the weight of form he’s learning,” coach Rodney Eade told goldcoastfc.com.au.
“There are a few parts of his game that we really needed to develop and I think full credit's got to go to the development coaches, they’ve been able to do some really good work with him and he’s getting the concepts that we’re trying to get across and certainly at this stage thoroughly deserves his inclusion.”
Leslie is one of six inclusions for the round eight clash, with foundation SUNS Brandon Matera, Matt Shaw and Tom Nicholls all receiving senior recalls.
Shaw will play his first senior game of 2016 after managing 15 in 2015 and Eade is looking for the wingman to add some run through the midfield, while the veteran mentor wants consistent effort from Matera.
“Shawry gives us some run he needs to be stronger with the contest and we’ve worked with him on that,” Eade said.
“Brandon’s offense has been reasonably good in the seconds, his defence has been up and down.
“Last week was the opposite, he didn’t play that well but he got five or six tackles so I spoke to him about being consistent, and if he gets his pressure up I’ll be able to pick him. So he did that, now he’s got to try and integrate the both into his game.”
Last year’s No. 8 draft pick Callum Ah Chee and tall utility Keegan Brooksby are the other ins for Gold Coast.
Matt Rosa, Alex Sexton, Clay Cameron and ruckman Dan Currie all miss this week’s game with injury while Henry Schade and Jarrod Garlett have been omitted.
Round 8 AFL Premiership Team
B: A. Saad, J. Leslie, S. Lemmens
HB: J. Harbrow, S. Day, K. Kolodjashnij
C: C. Ah Chee, G. Ablett, M. Shaw
HF: A. Hall, T. Lynch, J. Martin
F: B. Matera, P. Wright, K. Brooksby
FOLL: T. Nicholls, J. Lonergan, D. Prestia
INT: J. Grant, N. Malceski, T. Miller, D. Macpherson
EMG: L. Russell, H. Schade, D. Stanley
IN: C. Ah Chee, T. Nicholls, K. Brooksby, B. Matera, M. Shaw, J. Leslie
OUT: H. Schade (omit), J. Garlett (omit), M. Rosa (hamstring), A. Sexton (arm), C. Cameron (knee), D. Currie (hip)
